DCI Chief Judge Gary Markham's wife in the hot seat

[camel lips]

Here is the part that just tears me up.

"The Lassiter band recently won first place at the Bands of America Regional Championship in October at a competition in Towson, Md., a victory parents say does not reflect their faith in the band’s director.

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - New band director at Lassiter spurs ire from parents pupils"

Does not reflect their faith in the band director??

Sounds about as stupid as what Jerry Jones did firing Jimmy Johnson at Dallas Cowboys after winning 2 back to back super bowls and the turning around and firing Barry Switzer after winning a Super Bowl.

Freaking Genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[camel lips]

This is about a bunch of type A parents wanting to have their way and having their way and a new administrator telling them NO they can't have it their way that there are going to be some changes made.

I am sure this new band director is trying to be diplomatic and is trying to make the adjustments slow and the transition go as smoothly as possible but parents need to know WHO is running the ship and they need to know that when it comes to running the band WHO is in charge.

The parents association should always be about raising funds and supporting the band BEHIND the scenes with cooking and transportation needs. Parents should NEVER be involved with staff or show needs unless ASKED.

[Jeff Ream]

Don't forget Jeff, taxpayers (not just parents) have a "right" to say how students are taught, etc, etc, etc..... OY!

And of course we both know the main requirement for getting on the school board (get more votes than the other people).

FYI - I live in Jeffs old school district and every election a group runs on the platform of "Cut the Waste". They can never say where the waste is, just "Look at the budget, there has to be waste somewhere with all that money".

the waste is usually in the administrative offices

[Jeff Ream]

Uh, no, I said parents don't get to make school personnel decisions. You could have made this same argument when they started involving parents in the process of selecting a principal or other administrator, but did you complain then??? No you din't . Look the involvement is mostly done to build political support for the new person--something a kindergarten teacher doesn't usually lack, but it was an issue in the Lassiter situation. In the early stages, a meeting can be held and parents are invited. "What traits would you like to see in the new principal [or whatever]?" "What would qualify a person for this job?" The administration already knows the answers to those questions--they're just getting input to build community consensus. Sometimes parents also get invited to interviews of, say, three finalists.They might submit comments to the administration or board after the interviews. Written comments are normally shared only internally in the administration, not with parents. The administration or board makes its own decisions. It's not an election.

It would be unusual to do this with a band director. But this school is clearly in an unusual situation. If you're the school board, you seek input and then go off and hire whoever the heck you wanted in the first place. This happens all the time with key personnel and not just in schools.

and at those meetings, if they were to be held...and I've seen this happen...you get that one or two people with an agenda that #### everything up for the entire lot.

Just recently in my area, a band did a show with Russian music and had a giant russian Flag, hammers, sickles etc...and a community member...not even a parent raised hell and got it on Fox news. There was a thread on here about it. This show was in no way promoting communism for god's sakes. But one community member had a fit, and boom national news.

While I more often than not think most of the waste in schools is in the administrative office, from know many teachers these days it seems the biggest challenge in education is the parents.

[Jeff Ream]

Maybe I should print this article on my old BDs grave with the note "You were right Wit". Guy was a crusty old WWII vet with a different set of priorities than the rest of the teachers (almost all younger). Everyone called him by his first name ('Yer old enuff') and if asked in a serious manner he would share his opinion with no BS (but plenty of 4 lettered words ).

Two of us (one corps member/one corps fan) asked him why we never competed. Paraphrase 40 yrs later was "You kids have enough pressue on you without adding that ####. Plus we got some band members who could barely play or march or have enough self esteem issues without people giving them #### because of a ### #### score. You know who I mean" (we did) "##### I want the kids in this band to leave here more mature and confident, not all beat to ####. ##### ##### can you imagine the band parents with that ###!"

Few years later he retired and the Asst BD (former corps member) took over. Band competed but with the idea of forget the score just do the best you can (IOW very little pressure). And the band parents???? One gave me Hell my sis last show for yelling for an aide with another band. "You should cheer for YOUR band". I told her "Don't worry, I will and cheer for my friends in the meantime". Kicker was the drum tech from another band sat next to me during their show (man did I get the hairy eyeball). Double kicker was the tech was Jeffs dad....

Wally's good at finding controversy LOL

[Jeff Ream]

It sounds like George Hopkins talking about DCI's budget.

please, don't insult George like that

[84BDsop]

and at those meetings, if they were to be held...and I've seen this happen...you get that one or two people with an agenda that #### everything up for the entire lot.

Just recently in my area, a band did a show with Russian music and had a giant russian Flag, hammers, sickles etc...and a community member...not even a parent raised hell and got it on Fox news. There was a thread on here about it. This show was in no way promoting communism for god's sakes. But one community member had a fit, and boom national news.

While I more often than not think most of the waste in schools is in the administrative office, from know many teachers these days it seems the biggest challenge in education is the parents.

Good thing he didn't watch SCV 87, 91, or 05, then.

[Jeff Ream]

Here is the part that just tears me up.

"The Lassiter band recently won first place at the Bands of America Regional Championship in October at a competition in Towson, Md., a victory parents say does not reflect their faith in the band’s director.

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - New band director at Lassiter spurs ire from parents pupils"

Does not reflect their faith in the band director??

Sounds about as stupid as what Jerry Jones did firing Jimmy Johnson at Dallas Cowboys after winning 2 back to back super bowls and the turning around and firing Barry Switzer after winning a Super Bowl.

Freaking Genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

some good bands at that show too.

But as a Dallas fan, Jimmy was egging Jerry on to do it. that relationship was self destructing

[N.E. Brigand]

the waste is usually in the administrative offices

Again: isn't that essentially what Hopkins is saying about DCI?

[N.E. Brigand]

The article is poor and doesn't give enough information about specific supposed failings of the hiring process and the director. There are, however, some details in the comments following the article, which, if true, seem more substantive. It wouldn't be the first time that a news article's comments section was better informed than the article itself. (See the brouhaha a couple months ago about the sudden departure of the director of the Cleveland Museum of Art.) But who knows if those complaints are true? Particularly a comment that complains about mediocrity but can't spell that word correctly--talk about irony!